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Two months after Fabio Borini proved crucial to Sunderland’s Premier League survival, the Black Cats don’t want to enter their new season without him, part of the reason the club is willing to pay top dollar for somebody who’s failed to making an impact with his parent club.

That may also explain why Liverpool, after recently parting ways with Luis Suárez, is willing to do the same with Borini. According to multiple reports, the Reds have agreed to accept Sunderland’s $23.9 million (£14m) bid for their Italian striker, with the 23-year-old now free to negotiate personal terms for a potentially permanent move.

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Spanish attacker Michu’s two-year stay in Wales appears to be over, though with yesterday’s move to Napoli announced as a season-long loan, there’s still a chance the 28-year-old could return to Swansea City. But with an option to buy in the partenopei’s hangs, Swans no longer control whether their former focal point has played his last match for the club. After completing his physical Thursday in Naples, Michu is now Rafa Benítez’s charge.

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There’s a reason why the term litmus test has been thrown around ahead of tonight’s game in Portland. For the Timbers, the game is a chance to measure themselves against a potential rival for a playoff spot, making three points all the more important. For Colorado, it’s an opportunity to further establish themselves in the West’s increasingly top five, taking valuable points on the road from a talented but wayward team.

Those are the stakes for this week’s Friday night game, with NBCSN and NBC Live Extra bringing you all the action from Providence Park starting at 11:00 p.m. Eastern.

Portland, coming off back-to-back loses to the rival Sounders, have been passed in the standings by Chivas USA, leaving last year’s conference finalists in eighth with 15 games to play. Needing to pass three teams to claim a second straight playoff spot, the Timbers are quickly approaching a make-or-break point of…

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The coach of the year voting in the MLS was a close race this year. Similar Coach of the contests are run all the time where the soccer community votes. Thanks to BSSC for the Spokane Soccer Coach of the year contest.

We continue to roll out our choices for the league’s top defender, top goalkeeper, top rookie, MVP and more:

Today we look at ProSoccerTalk’s writer’s picks for Major League Soccer’s Coach of the Year:

Steve Davis

Caleb Porter, Portland Timbers

This is easily the toughest choice for me, with three managers from the Western Conference fully deserving. (By the way, the fact that New York’s Mike Petke, blessed with such a talented roster, is one of three official MLS finalists rather than Colorado’s Oscar Pareja is a darn shame.) Porter gets my vote for orchestrating the greatest turnaround. It wasn’t just the raw improvement of the numbers (the club improved by 23 points, going from 8th place to 1st in the West) but a turnabout of such high style, too.

The three horse race to win the FIFA World Player of the Year award has heated up rather nicely in the last few months.

Lionel Messi was many’s favorite to win it once again, but then injuries have ravaged his progress in recent months and put him way down the pecking. Seeing his chance to grab the coveted trophy, Cristiano Ronaldo has been in sensational form this season scoring 32 goals in 22 games.

And then there’s Franck Ribery.

Leading Bayern Munich to every possible domestic trophy in Germany and then the UEFA Champions League title at Wembley last May. On top of that Ribery’s France made it to the World Cup, just, and his delightful dribbling and incredible work rate has seen him become Bayern’s go-to guy.

The 27-year-old Frenchman, who picked up the UEFA Player of the Year award ahead of Ronaldo and Messi in September, believes he…

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This is the 100th game between the two teams, Chelsea have the edge (w44, D18, L37)

Chelsea are unbeaten in their last 6 London derbies in the PL (W4, D2)

West Ham have failed to score in six of their 11 PL games this season

A raucous crowd will be present as these two old London foes square off in East London on a chilly Saturday night. This won’t be one for the faint-hearted.

West Ham host Chelsea (Watch live on NBC 12:30pm ET and online via NBC Sports Live Extra) at Upton Park in desperate need of a win and some goals. Last year they managed to upset the Blues but a dreadful run of just one win since the opening day of the season sees the Hammers flirting with the relegation zone. They have hastily signed forwards Carlton Cole and Mladen Petric to play up front with…

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It’s that time of the week again, you’re heading home from work on a Friday night and already you’re planning what Premier League games you will wake up to watch on a lazy Saturday morning.

Life is great.

There are some huge games coming your way in Week 12, as we bring you FIVE games live on NBCSN and West Ham vs. Chelsea on NBC this Saturday at 12:30pm ET. Saturday kicks off with a huge Merseyside derby between Everton and Liverpool at 7:45am ET, before first placed Arsenal clash with third-placed Southampton at 10am ET.

On Sunday, Manchester City host Tottenham at 8:30am ET on NBCSN and that’s followed by Cardiff City vs. Manchester United at 11am ET. To round off Week 12, we have a Midlands derby on NBCSN between West Brom and Aston Villa on Monday at 3pm ET.

“I think in this situation, the referee is not guilty, the player is guilty,” Mourinho said. “Because if nobody touches me and in this moment, I fall, it is not your fault, it is my fault because I fall. So, I think the referee went in the trust when he saw, I think it was Vertonghen. When he pretends that Fernando had a big contact on…

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The iconic Lionel Messi had a very up-and-down match on the road at Almeria Saturday.

First, his goal to open the scoring in the 28th minute extended his La Liga record for career away goals with 101, with the former record-holder the Real Madrid legend Hugo Sanchez with 99.

Just following the goal, however, Messi asked to be removed with what appears to be a thigh muscle injury, according to AS. He was replaced by Xavi Hernandez.

Messi isn’t one to ask to be substituted often, although he did miss a bit of time last season with a hamstring injury.

Barcelona have a bit of fixture congestion coming up, so they’ll need Messi as much as possible. They face Celtic in the Champions League midweek on Tuesday, then have three matches in seven days following the early October international break.